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Death certificate released in inmate death

Published: Wednesday, August 27, 2014 at 08:16 AM.

The “time of injury” was 6 p.m. Aug. 12, according to the death certificate, which Almeida signed Aug. 13.

He said the time of death is the moment when an official makes that pronouncement.

“Basically, we are talking about an almost instantaneous death in an asphyxial case,” Almeida said. “In this case, it would have been three to five minutes from when he put the ligature around his neck.”

Almeida did not have immediate access to information about what type of ligature was used, he said.

A “complete autopsy” established the cause of death and ruled out any signs of trauma, or assault, Almeida said.

“Almost invariably, in self-hangings there’s not a great deal of internal damage,” Almeida said.

N.C. Department of Health and Human Services oversees the N.C. Division of Health Service Regulation Jails and Detention Unit, which documents inmate deaths with a form required for submission within five days of the death.

A retired Marine who died in custody at Onslow County Jail this month succumbed to “asphyxia hanging,” according to a cause of death listed in a newly released death certificate.

Asphyxia hanging refers to deaths, such as a ligature strangulation and reverse-weight hanging, said Dr. John Almeida, the pathologist who filed the death certificate in this case.

Dana Scott Hill, 39, of Jacksonville died about 7 p.m. Aug. 12 at Onslow County Jail, according to the death certificate. Hill was charged Aug. 7 with three charges of statutory rape, three charges of indecent liberties with a child, statutory sex offense and crime against nature, according to previous Daily News reports.

The manner of death is listed as suicide, according to the death certificate.

“There wasn’t anything funny or unusual that came to light in this case,” Almeida told The Daily News. “The story was that he had hung himself in the jail, and the findings were consistent with that.”

The State Bureau of Investigation was called to investigate, Sheriff Ed Brown previously told The Daily News. He was not immediately available for comment Tuesday.

Hill’s charges no longer were listed on N.C. Department of Public Safety’s offender database on Tuesday.

The “time of injury” was 6 p.m. Aug. 12, according to the death certificate, which Almeida signed Aug. 13.

He said the time of death is the moment when an official makes that pronouncement.

“Basically, we are talking about an almost instantaneous death in an asphyxial case,” Almeida said. “In this case, it would have been three to five minutes from when he put the ligature around his neck.”

Almeida did not have immediate access to information about what type of ligature was used, he said.

A “complete autopsy” established the cause of death and ruled out any signs of trauma, or assault, Almeida said.

“Almost invariably, in self-hangings there’s not a great deal of internal damage,” Almeida said.

N.C. Department of Health and Human Services oversees the N.C. Division of Health Service Regulation Jails and Detention Unit, which documents inmate deaths with a form required for submission within five days of the death.

SBI officials said the investigation is still open.

District Attorney Ernie Lee said late Tuesday he has not received a report in the death.